The goal of this application for competing continuation of MBRS funding is to further our long-term goals to increase the productivity and caliber of faculty conduction biomedical research and to significantly increase the number of minority faculty and students engaged in and pursuing biomedical careers. SFSU enrolls large numbers of underrepresented minority students, with strong enrollment in each major ethnic category and has an outstanding record of awarding significant numbers of baccalaureate degrees to minorities. We have a proven commitment to the hiring and advancement of minority faculty and have developed a number of federally- funded minority enhancement programs in the biomedical sciences. Continued funding of the MBRS program at San Francisco State University (SFSU) will allow us to develop and support 16 basic biomedical research laboratories, providing essential support for research activities, and excellent mentoring and training opportunities for underrepresented minority students. These research opportunities will be supported by many existing, shared institutional and departmental resources. The clearly identified measurable objectives of our MBRS program are to increase overall: 1) quantity and quality of publications of original research in peer-reviewed journals, 2) submission and funding of major grant applications in support of biomedical research, 3) presentation of research results at national and international meetings, and 4) hiring of underrepresented minority faculty at SFSU. The Program Director will directly advise and monitor the progress of all the MBRS investigators and their students, and will administer the program in consultation with the Advisory Committee, and through support of an Administrative Assistant. Progress toward the state objectives will be assessed for individual MBRS investigators, as well as the program as a whole. An External Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) will assist the individual investigators by providing advice on the scientific focus and progress of their research programs and by providing consultation on our entire MBRS program.